Ladder scaffold

ABSTRACT

A scaffold is provided which employs as its platform portion a conventional straight-type ladder. The invention includes a pair of end leg assemblies each having a channel-shaped upper head portion for receiving end portions of the ladder therein and for connecting the leg assemblies to the ladder. The leg assemblies have a reinforcing crosspiece from which a strut angularly extends. Such struts have clamps at their free end for releasably engaging rungs of the ladder for holding the leg assemblies in fixed position relative to the ladder.

llnited States Patent 3,058,542 10/1962 Rogalla L e v a h S 00 6 9 l 3 16 4 7 3 FOREIGN PATENTS 1/1957 France 1,104,279 6/1955 France PrimaryExaminer-Reinaldo P. Machado Att0rneyEu gcne Eckelman [22] Filed Oct.27, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 19, 1971 [54] LADDER SCAFFOLD 3 Claims, 3Drawing Figs.

A scaffold is provided which employs as its platortion a conventionalstraight-type ladden The invention includes a pair of end leg assemblieseach having a chanshaped upper head portion for receiving end portionsof the ladder therein and for connecting the leg assemblies to theladder. The leg assemblies have a reinforcing crosspiece from which astrut angularly extends. Such struts have clamps at their free end forreleasably engaging rungs of the ladder for holding the leg assembliesin fixed position relative to the ladder.

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LADDER SCAFFOLD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There is a great need forsmall portable scaffolds such as the type which are necessary inpainting homes, repairing siding, and other similar uses. Variouscontraptions have heretofore been employed such as adjustable sawhorses,as shown in US. Pat. No. 970,508, and other complex structures some ofwhich use ladder sections, as in US. Pat. No. 372,133, but in no one ofthe patents mentioned is there an extremely simplified arrangement whichuses a straight-type ladder as the platform structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an important objective ofthe present invention to provide novel end support assemblies capable.of ready attachment to the ends of a conventional straight-type ladderwhereby the ladder can serve as the platform portion of the scaffold.

A more particular object of the present invention is to provide a ladderscaffold of the type described wherein the end support assemblies have anovel structure comprising a pair of legs integrated at their upper endswith a U-shaped head and also including a reinforcing crosspieceextending between the legs to which is connected one end of a strut theother end of which is adapted for releasable connection to a rung of theladder for providing a rigid connection between the ladder and the legassemblies.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects andadvantages will become apparent from the following description whichillustrates a preferred form of the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of theladder scaffold of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on theline 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring in particularto the drawings, the numeral designates a conventional straight-typeladder having a pair of side rails 12 and rungs 14. The ladder showncomprises a conventional steel or aluminum ladder wherein the side railsare generally channel-shaped or the like and the rungs are hollow andopen through the outer sides of the rails. The present invention isadaptable to wooden ladders also even though rungs of wooden ladders arenot hollow, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

For the formation of a scaffold structure of the invention, there isprovided a pair of end support assemblies 16 of identical structure,each having a pair of divergent legs 18 integrated at their upper endswith a crosshead 20. Head 20 is channel-shaped, having a substantiallyrigid body portion 22 and end upright tabs or walls 24 spaced apart adistance at least as wide as the width of a ladder so that the latter isadapted to lie in the head as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Legs 18 maycomprise telescoping sections 180 and 18b, with the section 18b havingapertures 25 and the section 18a having a cross pin 26 engageable with aselected one of said apertures for adjusting the length of the legs andtherefore the height of the scaffold.

The ladder is secured to the heads 20 by bolts 27 which extend throughsuitable apertures 28 in the upper portion of the walls 24 and which areadapted to receive end nuts 30. As stated hereinbefore, the rungs 14 ofconventional steel ladders are hollow and open through the outer sidesof the ladder rails 12. In such case, the bolts 27 can extend throughthe rungs and no alteration of the ladder is necessary. If woodenladders or other ladders whichrnay not hge theopen-ended rungs are used,it is necessary to drill cross holes in the side rails of the ladderoffset from the rungs to receive the bolts 27.

Each of the end support assemblies has a cross brace 32 secured to thelegs 18 in parallel relation to the head 20 and spaced down therefrom.Rotatably supported on the cross brace 32 is a mounting sleeve 34 fromwhich integrally extends a strut member 36 adapted to be connected atits free end to a rung of the ladder inward from the end rung forholding the leg assembly in a fixed downwardly angled position withrelation to the ladder. For the purpose of connection to a rung of aladder, the strut member 36 has a clamp 38 on its free end. As shown inFIG. 3 such clamp may comprise a pair of fingers 40 secured to the endof the strut member 46 by a bolt 42 and having end recesses 48 formedtherein for gripping a rung.

Thus, to form a scaffold of the invention, the two-end supportassemblies 16 are secured to opposite ends of the ladder, or at least inspaced relation of the latter, by inserting the connecting bolts 27through the upturned walls 24 of the heads 20 and through the ladder. Inthe case of metal ladders the bolts 27 usually can extend through therungs and in the case of wooden ladders holes have to be drilled in theside rails in a position offset longitudinally of the rungs. After theend support assemblies are connected to the ladder by the bolts 27, thestruts 36 are secured to a selected rung of the ladder to rigidly holdthe support assemblies in a fixed downwardly extending supportingposition. Struts 36 may be adjustable in length as by telescopingsections 3611 and 36b, connected by a plurality of apertures 50 in thesection 36b and a pin 52 in the section 36a in order that the struts maybe lengthened or shortened as desired to position the leg assemblies atthe desired angular relation to the ladder.

According to the present invention a conventional ladder is adaptedreadily to be converted into a scaffold by merely installing the legassemblies 16 thereon. Such ladders are usually light in weight and thusare very useful as an element of the present combination in order thatthe scaffold can be readily moved from place to place. A narrow strip ofplywood or any type of board, not shown, may be laid on the ladder toform a supporting surface on which the worker can stand.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A scaffold construction arranged to employ a straighttype ladderhaving side rails and a plurality of rungs, comprismg a. a pair of legassemblies one for each end of a ladder,

b. each of said leg assemblies having a pair of legs integrated at itsupper ends to a crosshead on which one end of the straight-type ladderis arranged to be supported and form the platform portion of thescaffold,

c. said crossheads having upturned walls adjacent each of their ends toform U-shaped housings to receive the ladder,

d. fastening means extending through said upturned walls arranged toproject through the rails of said ladder for releasably securing saidcrossheads to the ladder,

e. a cross brace in each leg assembly secured between each of saidrespective pairs of legs in a position below said crossheads,

. and a strut member in each of said leg assemblies having oppositeends,

g. one of the ends of said strut members being secured to a respectivecross brace and the other end of said strut members being arranged to besecured to an intermediate portion of the ladder to form an angledreinforcing member.

2. The scaffold construction of claim 1 wherein said fastening meanscomprises a bolt.

"I 3. The scaffold construction of c lai m l including releasable clampmeans on said other ends of said strut members for releasably securingsaid strut members to intermediate rungs of the ladder.

1. A scaffold construction arranged to employ a straight-type ladderhaving side rails and a plurality of rungs, comprising a. a pair of legassemblies one for each end of a ladder, b. each of said leg assemblieshaving a pair of legs integrated at its upper ends to a crosshead onwhich one end of the straight-type ladder is arranged to be supportedand form the platform portion of the scaffold, c. said crossheads havingupturned walls adjacent each of their ends to form U-shaped housings toreceive the ladder, d. fastening means extendiNg through said upturnedwalls arranged to project through the rails of said ladder forreleasably securing said crossheads to the ladder, e. a cross brace ineach leg assembly secured between each of said respective pairs of legsin a position below said crossheads, f. and a strut member in each ofsaid leg assemblies having opposite ends, g. one of the ends of saidstrut members being secured to a respective cross brace and the otherend of said strut members being arranged to be secured to anintermediate portion of the ladder to form an angled reinforcing member.2. The scaffold construction of claim 1 wherein said fastening meanscomprises a bolt.
 3. The scaffold construction of claim 1 includingreleasable clamp means on said other ends of said strut members forreleasably securing said strut members to intermediate rungs of theladder.